President Donald Trump promised voters during his 2024 campaign that if elected, his administration would enact the largest mass deportation operation in American history to remove millions of illegal immigrants and restore control over the southern border.

That pledge resonated with voters tired of open borders and the crime that followed. Then came the left-wing anarchy in Minneapolis in January. Protesters clashed with federal agents during routine immigration enforcement, resulting in the deaths of two U.S. citizens, Renée Good on Jan. 7 and Alex Pretti on Jan. 24. The chaos prompted Trump administration officials to signal a more targeted approach focused on criminals.